Legal Director David Karopkin

David Karopkin, Esq. is a Brooklyn native and a dedicated community activist. Among other pursuits, David founded GooseWatch NYC in 2011 to advocate for humane wildlife management in New York City. After graduation from Brooklyn Law School in 2015, David served as a Councilmanic Aide for New York City Council Member Daniel Dromm, Legislative Director for New York State Assemblymember Linda B. Rosenthal, and currently works as Assistant Law Clerk to the Hon. Justice Katherine A. Levine in the New York State Supreme Court.

Communications Director Sam Maslow

Sam Maslow has been a member of Brooklyn Young Democrats since 2016. As Communications Director, he will publicize BYD events on media to attract millennials and families to the organization for electoral engagement. Since he was young, he received recognition for his early engagement in community service, campaigning, and petitioning. He received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with a concentration in public law from the State University of New York at Buffalo and was awarded recognition for writing a research paper on gay rights caselaw. He is currently attending CUNY Brooklyn College for a Master of Science in Secondary Special Education and teaches high school with the New York City Department of Education. In his free time, he bike rides Floyd Bennet Airfield and enjoys reading David McCullough and John Grisham books.

Jewish Caucus Chair Zachary Schaffer

Zachary Schaffer is an organizer, storyteller, and relationship-builder based in Brooklyn. As the founder and chair of The Brooklyn Young Democrats’ Jewish Caucus, he is working to advance Jewish support for Democratic values in the Brooklyn community and to educate elected officials on issues of concern to the local Jewish community. The mission of the Jewish Caucus is to identify, network, and empower the next generation of Brooklyn-based Jewish Democrats. From a young age Zachary’s parents kindled in him a commitment for justice and a concern for the most vulnerable among us. In his day job, he equips people to have more productive conversations about Israel rooted in inquiry, empathy, and humility. He also trains professionals in coalition-building and helps them to share advocacy narratives that instruct and inspire. He deeply cares about promoting civil dialogue across divides and reclaiming Zionism as a progressive cause. He is a Mid-Career Fellow at Gratz College pursuing his Master of Science in Nonprofit Management. In 2015 he was recognized as one of twenty emerging Jewish leaders in their twenties. He graduated with honors from the University of Pittsburgh with degrees in Rhetoric and Political Science, and a certificate in Corporate/Community Relations.

Finance Director Julian Spector

A born and raised New Yorker, Julian Fox Spector originally got involved in politics working for Brooklyn's first African American District Attorney, Ken Thompson. After Thompson's tragic passing midway through his first term, Julian worked to ensure that the DA's legacy of meaningful criminal justice reform would be continued. He became one of the first hires on the campaign of Eric Gonzalez, Thompson's chosen successor. Gonzalez would go on to win over 50% of the vote in a crowded primary, becoming the first elected Latino District Attorney in New York State history. Julian is now proud to serve as New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman's 2018 reelection Campaign Coordinator, a role he has held since February, 2017. A graduate of Wheaton College, MA, Julian is most likely to be found in his free time either checking his fantasy baseball team or coming up with new excuses for why he has yet to finish the biography of President Lyndon B. Johnson. Don't worry, he's close